Japan’s NHK will be in the red for a third consecutive year following a fall in licence fee revenue.
The public broadcaster’s budget for 2025 was published on Wednesday showing that it is expected to post a deficit of ¥40 billion in the year beginning April. The figure is a reduction on the ¥57 billion deficit it posted in 2024.
NHK said it planned to make up the shortfall from its reserves and said it would instigate a series of reforms in order to reach parity in 2027.
It has already revised its business plan for the period 2024 to 2026 after new legislation made it compulsory to offer its content online from 2025.
The fiscal 2025 budget includes ¥18 billion for online distribution, below a suggesting ceiling of ¥20 billion, though a further ¥2.9 billion has been set aside for app development.
